Alexandria, VA - The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is pleased to announce that William "Bill" White, a member of the West Virginia State Board of Education, has been appointed to chair a year-long NASBE study group on school leadership: "Successful Leaders for Successful Schools: The Changing Role of Education Leaders."

NASBE conducts annual study groups to provide professional development to members of state boards of education, set organizational direction and priorities, and inform the state education policymaking process on key issues. This year, NASBE is partnering with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) to facilitate the leadership study group. Previous study groups have explored rural education, 21st century learning and technology use in the classroom, strengthening the teaching profession, deeper learning, and career technical education.

"Twenty-seven state boards of education have direct authority for developing principal standards, while 47 states control principal evaluation processes," says NASBE Executive Director Kristen Amundson. "We are delighted that Dr. White is leading the critically important effort to look at how states can recruit and nurture the strongest leaders for our schools."

Study group members will examine:

• The best models for state-level reform in preparing and recruiting strong school leaders.
• How best to support and retain strong leaders - from promising "grow your own" models to enhanced professional development systems.
• Data, studies, and existing state policies that help effective principals ensure all students who graduate high school are ready for college, careers, and civic life.
• Funding approaches that effectively support teachers and ways state policy can level the funding playing field for school administrators.
• Strategies for encouraging and supporting a progressive "pipeline to principalship" for teachers aspiring to be school leaders.
• How states can help principals leverage limited resources and funding to meet diverse student needs and capabilities.

At the completion of their work, NASBE study groups issue a comprehensive report with key insights, findings, and policy recommendations for relevant stakeholders, including members of Congress, federal officials, governors, chief state school officers, and local education policymakers.

"Because more is asked of our school leaders, state policymakers must address how these leaders are prepared, recruited, retained, and evaluated," says White. "My hope is that this study group will inform and prepare my state board colleagues to meet the challenge of improving state policies that foster a pipeline of high-quality school leaders, which will ultimately lead to better schools for our nation's children."

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America's state and territorial boards of education. Its principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking; advocate equality of access to educational opportunity; promote excellence in the education of all students; and assure responsible lay governance of education. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

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